Archive for the 'Rantings' Category

There are few things sadder on a Farm when you notice Mrs. Goose or Mrs. Duck calling for their kids who were swallowed by a python missing kids. Then there is not much else more satisfying than lopping off the Python’s head when it came again to inspect the buffet visit baby Gooslings and Ducklings.

I am noticing how hard it is it is so very important to keep yourself from crying in good spirits while slogging like a dog working. Farming is the biggest mental game I have ever had to endure play. The grass is not always greener somewhere else, as much as my mind would like to tell me that. Come rain, shine or Valentines the animals living beings at the farm have to eat.

Like this:

We used to chat ever so often in the late evenings in between the fence, myself and Pak Sidi. Talk the usual mostly village gossip, who got married, who had a big fight, who had a baby, who sold what land to who, which of his relatives he hated, which he thought were worth his time, whose chickens got stolen, you know how some very old men ramble on. I never knew just how old the old fart was he was but he was a young man when the Japanese invaded Kuching. He laughed when telling me how he was whacked on the side of his head slapped for not bowing down to the Japanese soldiers as they passed by. I did not see the humor in that. Then one fine day he kicked the bucket and joined the underground movement passed on.

He and the missus lived in this simple hut for more than 5 decades. No electricity, no piped water, and only the last few years with a logging track main road to town, before that it was a 4 hour boat trip to town or a 3 hour trek over Gunung Serapi. to reach the main road. Talk about the simple life, living off the land with his goats and cattle which long gone (sheds were burnt down) before I met him. He told me he was just too old to bother except for his chickens, ducks and vegetable patch.

His small abandonedneglected plot of land is for sale. The son came and asked me if I was interested since we share a common border. I just might accept the offer because I sometimes do strange things just for sentimental reasons. I just regret never having taking a photo with him. And i am slightly cheesed off as the old fart he never bothered to say goodbye.

Like this:

I always thought that setting up a ‘worm farm’ would be a simple exercise here in Kuching. Not only having a highly beneficial composting system with worms that would eat all most of the kitchen scraps turning them into a rich soil conditioner, it would also save me some sweat the effort in burying, not forgetting ‘saving’ and ‘recycling’ the overripe or squirrel damaged fruits on the farm?

The search to establish the worm farm started a few weeks ago and you would have never guessed how difficult it is to even source for someone locally who had some worms, worms with cool names too like African Night Crawler,Tiger Wormsand Red Wrigglers. But the cost of the worms? Every answer for a price (all from the mainland, West Malaysia) came back with a shortness of breath pricing ranging from RM160 kilo to RM450 per kilo with minimum orders up to 500 kg? What am i going to do with that much? No wonder even home composting systems are not available here. I am absolutely dumbfounded BUT from the looks of it there is tremendous market potential.

Then soon like the proverbial rabbit those few goats become ten then twenty-five and in a matter of two to three years there is a huge herd.

Don’t kid yourself, having a lot of goats equals a lot of work. Not only does it mean the daily housing cleaning, which does not mean just sweeping the floors, but also means scrapping bits and ever so often water jet cleaning more so for elevated goat housing like here in East Malaysia. Then you have to do those maintenance odd jobs, regularly clear goat poop and perhaps make organic fertiliser. Next comes looking out into the goats health, reading up on goat raising and health, treating goats and the list goes on. We have not even begun to think about milking, making goat products like soap and supplying meat, corresponding with buyers and the chores never seem to end! Do you even have to bother mentioning those time wasters who come unannounced and expect you to be entertained to answer each and every question relating to goat farming and all you have in your mind are the chores that’s left to be finished? Of course this would be a whole new different scenario if you are a gentleman farmer who have staff to do all the work for you.

I have a recurring nightmare. It starts with me looking at my watch and its 6am, walking tiredly to the goat shed hearing them bleat a racket. As I enter into the sheds all the goats have their mouths gaping so wide demanding they be fed. Their bleating becomes louder and louder and ends with me run running screaming away from them. A friend shared his personal nightmare where he too walks into his goat shed but his goats have huge bloated udders and they are screaming to be milked.

Lots of goats also mean that there are lots of feeding and other costs like veterinary bills and maintenance. Many goat keepers often find the costs increase to way beyond to what we would normally spend for the family entertainment or hobbies. Sometimes goat farming might start out as a family endeavour but more often the responsibility eventually falls on one person. You will be spending more time out on the sheds and paddocks whilst other family members are having ‘better things to do’. This only will naturally bring on ill feelings within us.

Within a short time (the average goat owner stays in goats for three years) you will start to think that goat keeping does not seem like the great idea it initially was. It’s back breaking work, long hours, financial unrewarding and pretty hard on the family and wallet. It’s decision time. Get rid of the goats, decrease the workload, increase the financial returns or improve the divisions of labour?

Sometimes at this point some people decide (rather illogically) to go into a goat related business. They choose to sell goat milk, make cheese or goat soap, sell goat meat or other goat related money making endeavour. Soon not only are they pumping more money in and putting even longer hours into their goat’s but they are pumping even more money and hours into their goat related business.

To stay in goats for the long haul we must not only find ways to decrease the work and financial outlay but also keep the family as a whole committed to this hobby which has turned into a business. The first way is to keep the numbers to a minimum. Defy the ‘breed like rabbits’ syndrome.

Only keep as many goats as you can handle. The number will depend on you and your decision if you are going to be working by yourself, with family members or other help, and still have a life besides goats. This will help you in many ways. You will work less, you will spend less, you will argue with your family less and you will enjoy your goats more.

Don’t ever think that if you decide to increase your goat numbers you will make everything better. You will most probably gain some efficiency and per head reduction in average costs but at most times for most people more goats mean more work, more costs and more disharmony. Keep only as many goats as you can afford. Since at most times owning and keeping goats is a hobby, consider having goats the same way as you would consider yourself having an entertainment budget.

One mistake you should never make is to turn your goat hobby into a paying job just in order to justify a larger herd. In the first place many of us have never run a business nor have we worked for ourselves. Whatever the business, being successful will depend on our knowledge on business planning, accounting, marketing and a host of other skills which we do not naturally have. You yourself know that statistics too show that the majority of new businesses fail.

The next thing you must demand of is in the efficiency of your everyday goat chores. Analyze your feeding, cleaning, milking and other labour intensive chores. Minimize effort, maximize efficiency, be process oriented. Write and note down everything. Decide which are the most labour intensive. Then decide chore by chore how to decrease your effort. Perhaps some form of equipment help you and can you afford it? Implement those changes. If you have maximized the efficiency of your chores and still being overloaded then it’s high time you reduce numbers or get help.

Consider the total whole big picture which means more than just goats. When we look at what owning goats really entails it is pretty obvious why most people stay in goats for only three years or less and why those who stay any longer often end up working harder, spending more money and suffer from strained relationships, family or otherwise.

We can and should continue to enjoy our goats and still have a happy fulfilling real life too. But this can only happen if we keep goat numbers to within our means and capabilities, introduce and maximize efficiencies and allow family members become involved as and how they want to be. For most of us owning goats is a hobby and like a hobby should remain within the framework of our family, friends, giving pleasure and teaching us responsibilities. It is only with this way that we can make keeping goats as part of our life for a lot more longer than the average three year cycle.

‘Boer goats will soon dot the fields of animal husbandry farms all over the country with the success of a high-technology Boer goat breeding project by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.‘ Read the rest here .

Its fantastic that there is such a facility on mainland, Peninsular Malaysia. But the information available very sketchy when Googled. Looking through the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development, MARDI website ( the people who are supposed to be running it ) came up with a blank with nothing. You wonder when and if the benefits of such projects will ever filter down to East Malaysia for Sarawakian and Sabahanfarmers.

Like this:

Before anything else you need to do some serious homework. Look at it from a businessman point of view. What capital outlay is needed to start off initially, the running costs and what kind of returns are we looking at?

The most important factor (for me) is to look at market demand. Is it live goats that the market demands be it to fulfill religious obligations (like here in Sarawak, Malaysia) or is the market looking for breeder stock? Is goat milk in demand in your area? Or is processed goat meat needed to supply in your immediate area? There are so many questions that need answered, factors that need consideration related to whatever the sector of this goat business you are venturing into.

Once you have figured out what is your best option based on the market demand and your facilities available then you have to look at the costing. For example if you have found that the demand is in for live goats (taking into consideration the local market price), then its time to first look at what you have in terms of your farm facilities.

Do you already have a farm? Or are you intending to purchase one or start from scratch? How much capital do you need to set the business up? Are you in an area that requires simple fencing and shelter or do you need to also invest into building a goat barn like here in Sarawak? Is electricity and water connection an issue?

Then look at the breeds available to you in your immediate area and work your way out to the possibility to import from overseas. For example many Sarawakian farmers have imported goats from Australia at very high costs (freight is an issue as the numbers are usually too small to take advantage of any savings versus importing in high numbers) and find that the offspring (in this example Boers) are only worth on average 1/3rdto 1/5th of the breeding stock initial costs. Please take into account that a gestation period of 5 months minimum not counting the time for the kid to grow which can be up to an additional 6-9 months before being ready for the market.

One of the high costing considerations is the feed. Does your farm have an area big enough to sustain the goats numbers you intend to have? Or are you going to practice cut and carry for most of the time? Is feeding goat pellets economical for you? What is the price of grain (and what type of grain) in your area? Do you need to invest into vehicles and machinery like a shredding or mulching machine to process the cut grass/forage? Do you need to build a vermin proof shed to store the grain and pellets? Are supplements, medication and other associated items an issue for you to source?

Manpower is also a very important factor. Are you living on the property and are fantasizing looking at this goat business as an addition to supplement your farm’s income? Or are you going to employ labor which automatically means extra costing. If the latter is needed then housing your workers is also another expense not to mention wages. Then insurance and workman compensation has to be factored in.

Once you have got all this basic information in hand, list down your initial setup costs. Remember that you need to first decide on what breed and the numbers you are looking at based on you and your farms capabilities. No sense in projecting for 200 goats when your farm is only 1 hectare! Be sensible. Then figure out your running costs on a weekly/monthly basis. By then you will already have the numbers of the goats you will have so work out now on the potential income from the kid sales or in the case of diary goats the milk sales and so forth. In the case of meat goats you can work out on average your kidding numbers for example giving out a pessimistic figure of 1.5 per year per breeding doe. So you will have for every 10 does an estimate of 15 kids every season. You should be smart enough able to do the sums on your own here and see if you have the potential can generate an income from this business.

Like this:

As demand for goat meat continues to expand around the world, many people with no experience with livestock are getting into the goat business. Sometimes the idea of raising goats is attractive because it can be done either on a small scale or in a very large enterprise. But best of all, you can make money raising goats only if you do it wisely.

Caring for a herd of goats does not have to really be a full time job. Many people like us have other jobs and take care of their goats in the evenings and on the weekends. Those goats that are good foragers can “take care of itself” for much of the time.

Keep in mind that raising goats, as with any livestock, is not completely risk free. Disease needs to be prevented and treatment needs to be accurately and swiftly administered. A cost-effective feeding plan needs to be established and maintained. Also, a sound business management plan is required if you wish to make a reasonably decent profit from your goat herd.

What follows below is intended to help the inexperienced goat farmers begin to think and learn about the goat business. It contains a summary of information on a variety of topics that have been shown to be important in running a successful and profitable business. It is, however, not a comprehensive list of detailed recipes for success. It is a basic collection of ideas for you to consider. Each farm setting is unique and your business plan must carefully address your particular situation. You should use the following information as a starting point in your learning efforts.

Read and Study BEFORE you Start

Like most endeavors, you will benefit from learning about the meat goat (or diary goat) business before you make an investment in not only money but more of your time and sanity. There are lots of formal and informal ways to learn about goats. We share a few here to get you started. There are, however, many many other sources of sound information for you to choose from. One last piece of advice regarding how to study and learn about goats – don’t believe everything you see, read, or hear. Be sure to double check key points using multiple sources of information before making major investments or decisions.

Don’t overlook the easiest way to learn quickly about raising goats. You will most likely find goat farmers in your local area. Most goat farmers are friendly and will gladly show you around their farm if you call ahead to set up an appointment. By visiting a commercial goat farm, you will get a sense if breeding goats as a business is right for you. For example: How much work is it? How much money do you need to invest? What are the best kinds of goats for your particular situation? Where would you find sources of feed? Can you make money doing this? Will you end up bonkers? Seeing for yourself is an excellent way to begin.

Participating in the activities of goat associations is an extremely effective way to learn. Associations have a concentration of people who are very interested in all aspects of raising goats. You will have ready access to years and years of experience that would be impossible to obtain in any other way. Most associations are inexpensive to join and offer many services and events from which you would benefit. Admittedly there are very few if any goat farmer associations that are withing our state Sarawak.

Fencing

There is no more important item than fences when getting your farm ready for goats. Goats are smart and curious. They are known for their ability as escape artists. Whether you plan to fix up old fences, or build new ones, be careful to verify that you have indeed made your fence goat-proof. When refitting an older fence you will want to check for stumps or rocks that may be close to the fence line. Predators can climb on a stump or rock and jump in and conversely goats can jump out. Many types of fencing can be successfully used for goats, but it must be installed and maintained correctly. Woven wire and/or high-tensile electric fencing, with spacing suitable for goats, usually work well. There are also sources of fencing information on the internet. The careful planning and the time spent on your fences will be among the best investments you make.

Housing and Shelters

Goats can be managed with only a minimum of shelter from the rain, wind and snow, the latter of which we do not have here in the tropics. A three-sided shed works well. The open side should face toward the south to take advantage of maximum sunlight and the prevailing winds in many areas. Make sure there is adequate, dry floor space for the goats to lie down during long bouts of lousy weather.

Existing sheds can be modified to work well with goats also. Allow an open area for the goats to gather since they are herd animals. Other types of areas may include a private place for kidding, storage for feed, and a secure storage space for your supplies and special equipment. Adequate ventilation should always be a consideration. Water condensation on the ceiling or walls of the housing after the goats have spent a night in the barn may indicate there is insufficient ventilation in the building. These conditions can contribute to poor respiratory health in goats. Housing and shelters should be cleaned periodically to reduce the build up of ammonia (from urine) and to help control parasites and insect populations. The frequency of cleaning will vary based on ventilation, the type of flooring, and the degree to which surface water can and does enter your building. For new housing, place them to avoid any excess water.

Feeding Systems and Strategies

Typically a goat business will be profitable or not based on how many dollars are spent on feeding the herd. If you buy large quantities of commercial feed and specialty supplements, you will likely compromise your ability to make a profit. If, on the other hand, you strive to have your goats forage for the bulk of their food (and you manage your other expenses) a profit may be returned for your efforts.

The key factors in choosing how to feed your goats is to make sure they get enough protein, salt, and trace minerals at the lowest possible cost.

Forage

Goats naturally browse for their food when given the opportunity. This is by far the most economical form of goat feeding. Goats are cautious in what they eat, but vines, brush, weeds, young trees, and grass are all typically fine for goats. A few things are poisonous to goats, so some care is required when adding goats to a new area of forage. Ask your local farmers about what plants are dangerous in your area. Using forested lands for forage is often ideal, especially when they contain large amounts of dense undergrowth for browse.

Grass Pasture

Grass fields are satisfactory for goats but it is best if the grass is high with lots of weeds. This allows the goats to truly browse instead of graze. Parasites live near the ground so short grass and plant growth is to be avoided as much as possible.

Hay

Free-choice hay (oat hay, grassy alfalfa, or first cut hay with lots of weeds are good choices) is often made available to goats as supplemental feed in the winter and just before and after kidding. Hay feeders can be purchased or homemade. Feeders should be sturdy and designed to discourage the goats from standing on the hay. Goats will not eat “dirty” hay. However in tropical countries like here in Sarawak you will need a dryer, an expensive expense. With our tropical weather all year around most times it is not difficult to access fresh grass/forage everyday.

Commercial Feed

Commercially available feed mixes are readily available for goats. This can be a very big expense if you are not prudent. If feed is used, it is often only used in the winter months (in temperate area’s) and just before and after kidding in small amounts. 2% body weight feed per day per adult goat is frequently recommended as a supplement if your goats is already fed with grass/forage/hay. Some farmers feed a tiny amount of feed as a treat even in the summer months when forage is readily available just to keep the goats coming to the farmer.

If feed is used, select it carefully. A key variable is the percentage of protein. Often 12% – 17% protein is chosen. It is also important to check for other supplements placed in the feed. Several feeds on the market today have useful additives especially selected to improve or maintain goat health.

Supplements

Supplements are typically not used extensively, but they may prove useful in selected situations. Depending upon where you are at, selenium may be a necessary additive. Selenium is important to muscle development and metabolism in goats. Selenium is found naturally in growing plants if there are adequate levels in the soil for the plants to absorb. Some areas of the world have adequate levels of selenium and some do not. Check with your local Agriculture department. (Note: Goats require vitamin E to metabolize selenium correctly, make sure it is also present in the supplement you use.) Protein blocks and tubs formulated specifically for goats are frequently used to supplement protein when goats are on browse with no grain being fed. These blocks and tubs may also contain the proper amounts of salt and minerals for goats negating the need for loose or block mineral. Read the label or check with the manufacturer.

Minerals

Goats require a free-choice supply of proper amounts of salt and minerals. Goats have requirements that are quite different from sheep and cattle. For example, goats particularly need higher amounts of copper. Loose or block minerals that are not specifically designed for goats should not be used unless the missing minerals are provided in some other form. Homemade mineral dispensers have been made in many designs from PVC pipe, wood, or metal.

Watering Systems

Like all animals, goats need easy access to clean drinking water. They don’t like contaminated water (and neither do you). We dechlorinate our water and clean the water troughs daily.

You will have to make many decisions about “how” to raise your goats. Collectively the answers you choose will comprise your “management system.” You will have to decide what type of goats to raise, where to purchase your foundation stock, what you will feed them, and what preventive measures you will take for their health and well being. The choices you make will greatly influence whether you make money or lose money and whether you have chosen a full or a part-time job. Don’t haphazardly make these decisions. Most importantly, try to make sure you will enjoy what you’re about to do! Here are some of the key elements of a management system for raising goats.

Setting Goals

The old saying “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will do” is certainly true in the raising of goats. Are you trying to make money or just have some fun? Is your business selling breeding stock, selling goats for the commercial meat market, or some combination of both? How much time and money do you want to invest? Take a few minutes to write down what you believe your goals are. It is recommended that you start out with a small number of goats while you’re learning about the goat business and actually experience goat farming. You can add additional stock and modify your goals as needed to suit your situation. It will help if you set goals that are measurable otherwise you will not be able to chart your progress.

Identifying Obstacles

Understanding what is standing in the way of achieving your goals will be very helpful in planning for success. Typical obstacles might include limited amounts of money to invest, poor fencing, not enough land, or a lack of knowledge. By identifying obstacles, you have automatically determined the areas where your energy needs to be focused.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations can be given for a variety of diseases. Local conditions and your individual preference will play a big role in your decision on what to give on a regular basis. There are not many vaccines that have been specifically approved for use in goats. Some companies, however, are starting to realize that there are market opportunities with goat vaccines. Expect to see more product offerings in the future. Some vaccines (and other medications) are given “off label” which means they have been approved for use in other livestock (perhaps cattle), but studies have not been done to show effectiveness in goats. Learn what other successful goat breeders are doing. Remember any “off-label” use is at your own risk.

The biggest health problem you will face raising goats is control of parasites, especially stomach worms. Some goats have been selected and bred to be parasite resistant, but that does not mean parasite free. Parasites can debilitate and even kill a goat quickly. Regular worming is used by most goat farmers (perhaps in the spring and the fall). Additional worming of any particular goat is best done on an “as needed’ basis. The overuse of worming medications can promote the development of resistant parasites on your farm – a severe management situation you definitely want to avoid!

You can test for the presence of parasites by doing fecal smears and examining the feces for the presence of worm eggs under a microscope. This test can indicate the relative quantity and type of parasites present (worm load). Another easy test you can do on your own is the FAMACHA test that requires looking at the membranes under the eyelids of goats. The degree of anemia is estimated by observing the degree of redness in the membranes. Please remember, no “test” is foolproof. Careful judgment is also required. Seeking professional training for performing the above tests is strongly recommended.

A primary preventive measure against worms (other than genetic selection) is rotating pastures so goats are always eating in a significantly worm-free environment. A rotational strategy may range from daily to 3-4 week intervals depending upon the size of the paddocks. Browsed paddocks should stand dormant for 12 days to 6 weeks or more before the goats are rotated through again. Appropriate dormancy periods depend upon the size of the paddocks and the frequency of rotation. Your county extension agent may be a good source of information regarding rotational grazing strategies for your area.

Worming medication can be given orally or by injection. Most breeders periodically rotate wormers to decrease the chances of developing resistant strains of parasites. Talk to, or access information, from other successful breeders regarding the various types of wormers used and the appropriate dosages. Not many worming medications are formally approved for use in goats, so several “off label” uses have been developed. Your local vet may also be helpful regarding parasite control. Be sure, however, to ask about his or her level of experience with goats. Many vets have not worked much with goats, but this is slowly changing as the interest in goat farming increases.

Other parasite problems are skin related. Some conditions to look out for in your herd are lice, mange mites, and ringworm.

Observation

Probably the most effective and efficient method of identifying a goat that is sick or in need of medical treatment is the human eye. If your goat is acting differently than it typically does (not eating well, standing off by itself, etc.) then something is probably wrong. If you notice this, then act quickly to identify the problem. Goats are sturdy, but not indestructible. They frequently don’t show many signs or symptoms at the early stages of illness, so by the time you see something is wrong, the situation has already progressed significantly.

Signs of a Healthy Goat

Attitude – Alert and Curious

Appetite – Shows Interest in Food. Chews Cud after Feeding

Breathing – Regular and Unlabored

Coat/Skin – Clean, Glossy and no Lumps

Droppings – Pellets are Firm

Eyes – Bright, Clear and not Running

Gait – Steady with No Limping

Nose – Cool and Dry

Weight – Average Weight and Gain

Livestock Guardians

Goats are very susceptible to attacks from predators such as a pack of local dogs out on the loose. A good fence will help keep predators away from the goats (especially an electric fence), but many goat farmers in many countries choose to also have some form of livestock guardian animal. Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) live full time with the goats and usually do an excellent job of protecting their herd from intruders. There are many types of dogs used for this purpose including Great Pyrenees, Anatolians, and others. Most professional farmers try not to turn their livestock guard dogs into pets, as this is a distraction from the dog’s “work.” In Australia Llamas have also been used successfully in certain settings as guard animals. At our farm we use SSPCA rescued dogs like Ayu to keep an eye on intruders.

Kidding

One of the most exciting times of the year is when your does are kidding. This miracle is a wonder to see and typically you need do nothing (or very little) to help the process. Does have a reputation as excellent mothers requiring very little attention. Kids are often up and about in a matter of seconds. Standing, walking, and suckling within a few minutes is not unusual.

Although birthing problems are infrequent, you need to decide how much intervention you’re willing to do if problems do arise. Some things you may want to learn how to do are tube feeding a weak newborn kid and raising a kid on a bottle if the mother cannot provide enough milk or has rejected the kid. If a doe in labor has been pushing very hard for thirty minutes and has produced nothing, it may necessary to go in and move or reposition a kid so the birth can proceed normally. This is a specialized skill requiring additional learning on your part. Work with someone who already knows how to do this or in many cases, your veterinarian will be glad to teach you these skills. Before your goats have kids you should do some reading in more detail about pregnancy and kidding. The more prepared you are, the better things will go if intervention is needed. See the referenced web sites and books for more information.

Choose your breeding time so you are having kids when you want to have them. The length of gestation for a goat is about 150 days. Many breeders deliberately schedule their breeding program to avoid kidding during months of extreme cold or extreme heat. Of course, if you choose to have your buck run with the does all year round, then scheduling is not an issue.

Record Keeping

If you plan to make money in your goat business, you will need to have a basic plan including estimated costs and projected income. As in any business, failure to pay attention to financial details can be troublesome, if not fatal. Several web sites and other publications have examples of business plans that are helpful in understanding what to plan for and what variables are most important.

A typical goat farm will have many expenses. Some of these will be obvious such as the purchase price of stock, feed, and other supplies, but some will not be obvious. These can include medications, marketing costs, transportation expense, or even the cost of specialized equipment such as ear tags.

If you intend to turn a profit, you should determine during the start-up of your operation the cost of raising a doe for one year. Successful meat goat farmers manage every possible penny out of this number.

Income can come from different sources. A prime source of revenue is the sale of goats for slaughter. Often a secondary (or even primary for some) source of income is selling quality breeding stock to other goat farmers. Raising good breeding stock requires additional skill and knowledge. Only a disciplined, selective breeding program with rigorous culling will guarantee long-term success. Other sources of income may include the sale of goats for pets, renting goats as studs, selling goat poo as part of organic manure, or even creating your own value-added goat meat products. Non-meat sources of income can include goat milk, cheese, soap, and other products (a better option with dairy breeds).

Successful meat goat farmers have a target price in mind for the annual sales that result from breeding a doe. A revenue target of twice your actual expense will typically result in a sustainable goat business. It is important that you understand the inputs and outputs of your business

Goat meat is in high demand around the world. Malaysia imports thousands and thousands of live goats and untold kilo’s goat meat each year to meet a growing demand. Various ethnic groups use goat meat in their diet and everyone can appreciate goat meat’s low level of fat and delicious taste. Near any large city there will be demand for goat meat especially around certain religious holidays. Ask around to make sure you know at least one place you will be able to sell your goats when the time comes.

Broad trends in the goat meat industry are generally positive, but there are always new developments that may affect your business. Government regulations covering your goat operation and/or goat-related products should be clearly understood. Serious efforts should always be made to be in compliance with federal, state, and local law.

Work with a Proven Breeder

Why it is important? There is no substitute for quality, experience, and integrity. The guidance of an experienced breeder can easily make the difference in whether the start-up of your goat business is a success or failure. Learning by trial and error when buying goats can be expensive and even fatal when resources are limited. After you learn the basics of breed conformation and production traits, you will feel more confident about buying goats from sources that may be more “risky,” such as a local sale/auction. By then you will be able to determine if the animal for sale “looks” right, appears to be disease free, and is worth the asking price. Many people buy goats only from proven breeders since it dramatically lowers their investment risk.

Breeder lists are available on association web pages, trade publications, and other sites on the internet.

Keep Good Records

Obviously you need good financial records for tax purposes, but that is only the beginning of the information that will be useful to record and organize. Good records will allow you to make informed decisions about which animals should be culled and which animals are producing well. Good records to keep include:

The easiest and most common mistake to make when entering the goat farming business is to ramp up too quickly. This can be frustrating to the inexperienced goat farmer, because the natural tendency is to want to grow a herd as rapidly as possible. However, a lack of experience in daily care of the herd and in evaluating signs of poor health is a recipe for disaster. Nothing is more discouraging than to have your goats start dying and not understand why. You can add more goats as you learn and gain more confidence as a breeder.

Start with a small number (less than 10 goats is typical)

Learn through personal experience what works and what doesn’t work on YOUR farm

Reduce Stress

Raising goats should be very rewarding. You can make money and have a lot of fun at the same time. One important, but little talked about, key to success is practicing stress reduction in your herd. The goats will be healthier, more productive, and more profitable.

Isolate new goats coming to your farm (for a minimum of two weeks) to check for disease and let them adjust to your management practices

Don’t consistently “startle” your goats by making loud noises, moving too quickly, letting children or dogs chase them, or making changes in their daily routine unless absolutely necessary. Change things a little at a time, allowing time for each change to become routine. Always make dietary changes gradually.

Remember that sometimes you will lose an animal. This is part of the natural process of life. You should expect some animals to die because of old age, undetected disease, or even accident. Some degree of loss is unavoidable in any livestock operation, so be prepared to learn from these situations and continue to move forward.

Be particularly careful when transporting goats to keep them dry, out of the wind, and “on the road” only the minimum amount of time.

Remember that goats do not come with a guarantee. You will make mistakes like everyone else. That’s how you gain experience. No business plan ever written has precisely described what a business is doing several years down the road.

Have Fun!

Goats are entertaining and very interesting. Make sure you have a camera handy, especially when your new kid crop is romping around the field. Goat watching can be a ready source of entertainment for you and for your guests.

Remember the Bottom Line

1. Goats and goat meat are in high demand around the world

2. Keep expenses low

3. Know your local markets and how to access them

The ideas suggested here are for educational purposes only and provide no guarantee of success in a goat farming business. Specifically The Kebun does not in any way guarantee or endorse these steps. Every agricultural situation is unique. The information provided here is offered as points to consider when developing your own plan.

An example of the inside of a Goat House in Sarawak. Many farmers in Sarawak do not practice letting their Goats out to graze regularly during the day. We ourself do just that where our Goats are let out during the late morning until evening to graze on any one of the assigned outdoor paddocks.